THE Department of Justice (DOJ) denied on Thursday the allegation made by Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo that “someone at the agency” may be manipulating the suspects into recanting their extrajudicial confessions in connection with the killing of her husband, Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and nine others last March 4.
In an interview with reporters via Zoom, DOJ spokesperson Jose Dominic Clavano assured that the police officers and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) assigned to conduct a case build-up against alleged mastermind, suspended Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. and other possible suspects, are among “the best of the best.”
“I think the statement of Mayor Degamo is out of emotion and we hope that the credibility of the DOJ is preserved in this case and for the country,” Clavano said.
In an earlier interview, Mayor Degamo claimed that someone at the agency might be manipulating the suspects in the killing of her husband that led the suspects to recant their previous statements.
She added that someone who used to work with the agency might be trying to manipulate some people within the agency connected to the case.
The mayor did not mention which agency she was referring to. Meanwhile, Clavano revealed that the DOJ had already made requests for the transfer of the suspects in NBI’s custody to another facility to shield them from threats and manipulation.
Clavano said the DOJ is not discounting the possibility that the camp of Teves could be behind the decision of some suspects to recant their statements linking the controversial lawmaker in the gruesome crime.
“It’s very possible, we’re looking at many angles here, that’s why we need to be very careful with our witnesses,” Clavano stressed.
Clavano cited the attempt of a former undersecretary of the DOJ to talk to the witnesses at the NBI. Earlier, lawyer Levito Baligod, counsel of the Degamo family, disclosed that a former DOJ undersecretary allegedly tried to bribe detained suspects to stop cooperating in the investigation on the Degamo et al slay case.
Both Clavano and Baligod did not name the former DOJ official. Clavano said they are eying the transfer of the suspects to the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame.
It can be recalled that on Monday, Osmundo Rivero, one of the suspects in the Degamo slay case recanted his affidavits linking Teves and Teves’ former bodyguard Marvin Miranda as masterminds of the gruesome crime.
Rivero claimed that police investigators tortured and coerced him into admitting his participation in the crime that was carried out last March 4.
Rivero, through his counsel, Danny Villlanueva, also filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus before the Regional Trial Court of Manila seeking to compel Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and NBI director Medardo de Lemos to present the suspect before his wife Queenie Rivero, his two-year-old son Jophiel and 15-year-old stepson Christian.
Rivero said he received information that his wife and two sons were taken by a team of soldiers from the Philippine Army together with members of the Municipal Police Station of Bayog, Zamboanga del Sur from their residence in Kahayagan, Bayog, Zamboanga del Sur.
He said his family was taken to the Office of the Provincial Police in Camp Aberlon, Pagadian City before they were turned over to the NBI. The DOJ said Rivero’s family has been placed under the Witness Protection Program (WPP) after he initially agreed to cooperate with authorities.
Villanueva, on the other hand, said three more suspects identified as Rommel Pattaguan, Rogelio Antipolo Jr. and Dahniel Lora have also recanted their previous statements linking Teves in the gruesome crime.
While the DOJ is ready to investigate allegations of torture by the suspects, Clavano said this has not been confirmed based on intelligence information.
“As far as our intelligence goes, no such thing happened. We are very careful in handling these suspects because we believe they are also victims in this case,” Clavano stressed.